It seems inevitable at this point that the number of tents outside Memorial Coliseum for Big Blue Madness tickets is going to exceed last year’s mark of 525.

UK Athletics just made its final Thursday count and tallied 500 tents. At the same time last year there were 435 tents. Tents had already spilled across Avenue of Champions on to Stoll Field on Wednesday, but there were apporximately 60 of them Thursday afternoon.

Control cards won’t be distributed until Friday at 2 p.m., at which point the tent count should hit its peak. All indications are that number will be more than 525.

Either way, think about that 500 number. Let’s say there are three people in each tent, which is probably underestimating it. That would mean there are 1,500 random Wildcat fans just hanging out on the Memorial Coliseum and Joe Craft Center premises. In reality, there are even more than that.

When you account for the UK event management workers that are helping out, the bystanders passing by and the flow of traffic on Avenue of Champions, it makes for a pretty hectic scene. Credit goes to the UK event management staff for keeping things under control so far.

Jon Hood and his teammates handed out Papa John's pizza to fans at Big Blue Madness on Wednesday night.

The basketball team handed out Papa John’s pizza to hungry campers Wednesday night and then stuck around to sign autographs, mingle with fans and form an impropmtu pickup game with some lucky fans. Anthony Davis later put on a dunking exhibition for the hundreds that packed the blue courts.

To get an idea for the madness – pardon the pun –